Atlanta Falcons: Studs and duds vs. Saints, Week 13

Stud: Calvin Ridley

With Atlanta star wide receiver Julio Jones officially missing the contest on Thanksgiving at home against a divisional rival while recovering from a shoulder injury, Calvin Ridley was pushed into somewhat of a top receiver role throughout the matchup.

At the end of the game, Ridley managed to lead the way for all Falcons wideouts while helping the passing attack thrive throughout the contest. Ridley managed to tally a team-best 91 yards receiving on eight catches and a total of 10 targets.

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It will obviously be important for the Falcons to get Jones back on the field as soon as possible, but it was good to see Ridley step up and move into that top receiver role in Jones’ absence against the Saints.

Dud: Matt Ryan

In the game, Matt Ryan was able to air the ball out in the passing game early on and often, converting on 35 of his overall 50 pass attempts in the game, while throwing for a total of 315 yards through the air along with recording two touchdown passes.

On the other hand, however, Ryan turned the ball over throughout the course of the game, which hurt the Falcons in the loss. Ryan finished with two interceptions and committed two fumbles, losing one of those fumbles. The quarterback was also sacked nine times for a total of 53 yards.

There were certainly some positives out of Ryan in the matchup on Thursday night, but the mistakes he made were just too costly for the veteran quarterback in an attempt to lead his team to victory.